1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of protecting philatelic items against undetectable alterations and forgeries.
2. Background Information
Stamp collecting or philately is a hobby enjoyed by many people throughout the world. On occasion, stamps and other philatelic items have been altered or forged. Consequently, stamp collectors frequently use the services of experts or expertizing committees to authenticate the genuineness of their philatelic items. Typical of such expertizing services are: a) in the United States, the American Philatelic Expertizing, The Philatelic Foundation and the Germany Philatelic Society Expert Committee (GPSY); b) in England, The Royal Philatelic Society; c) in Austria, the experts of the "Verband Osterreischer Briefmarkenprufer" (see Michel Osterreich-Spezial 1987 catalogue for example); and d) in Germany, the experts of the Bundes der philatelischen Prufer e.V. (see Michel Deutschland--Spezial 1989 catalogue for example). In many cases the experts place their name or other mark showing their identity on the philatelic item.
Several years ago a genuine copy of Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue United States No. C3a was sold at an auction in the United States. This stamp, known by stamp collectors as the "Inverted Jenny", has a catalogue value of over $100,000 and frequently sells for above that value. There are one hundred copies of the stamp known. The copy sold at the auction had been stolen many years before but had been altered to resemble another one of the 100 so that it would not be recognized as stolen. There were no marks on the stamp which would have made anyone recognize at once that this was the stolen one.
The present invention aims at preventing theft, alteration and forgery of philatelic items, as in the "Inverted Jenny" example.